Alinur Turhanbay, a citizen of Kazakhstan, is set to stand trial in mid-September in the Xinjiang region of China, accused by the Chinese authorities of “dual nationality”. His family emphasizes that he has already renounced his Chinese citizenship and canceled his Chinese household registration, presenting relevant documents. Human rights organizations criticize the case for lacking legal basis and call for international attention.
Hailing from the Ili region of Xinjiang and now a citizen of Kazakhstan, Alinur Turhanbay was arrested in China on charges of “dual nationality”. In an interview with Epoch Times, his family stressed that Alinur had long renounced his Chinese citizenship and household registration. The Chinese Consulate General in Almaty reportedly “clipped” his Chinese passport in 2017 as a sign of completing the renunciation process. In 2023, the Public Security Bureau of Yining County in Xinjiang issued a “cancellation of household registration” certificate, officially canceling his household registration in Kulusitai Village, Awulia Township.
On July 22, Alinur Turhanbay was taken away by Chinese border guards when attempting to enter China via the Dostyk port in Xinjiang. His wife, Gulidariya Siliza, recalled that her husband was originally a Chinese citizen who legally obtained Kazakh citizenship in 2017 and completed the renunciation procedures at the Chinese Consulate General in Almaty. She showed reporters her husband’s Kazakh passport and ID, emphasizing, “My husband is now only a citizen of Kazakhstan and no longer holds Chinese citizenship or household registration.”
Gulidariya explained that Alinur is a truck driver who regularly transports goods between China and Kazakhstan. This time, he was hired to pick up goods in China but was detained at the port, unlike the two Kazakh drivers accompanying him who were unaffected. She mentioned that the authorities have not allowed direct contact between her husband and the family, relying on companions to convey messages. Following the incident, she immediately sought assistance from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs but initially received no clear response.
On August 14, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied to a plea from Alinur’s daughter, relaying the Chinese accusation of Alinur’s “suspected dual nationality”. The family promptly submitted his Kazakh passport and Chinese household cancellation documents (see image), but the Chinese side refused to acknowledge them.
After Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the Kazakh human rights organization “Atajurt Voluntary Organization”, intervened, he spoke out multiple times on behalf of the family. The organization emphasized that Alinur had legally renounced his citizenship and currently only holds a valid Kazakh passport and ID, arguing that the Chinese accusations lack any legal basis. In a statement released at the end of August, the organization stated: “This is an illegal violation of a Kazakh citizen’s personal freedom and a challenge to national sovereignty.”
On September 1, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs again wrote to Alinur’s family (reference number not disclosed), stating that China still considers him to be “a Chinese national” but did not specify the exact legal provisions. The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not provide an explanation for a Kazakh citizen suddenly becoming a “Chinese national”.
According to family members, the Chinese authorities not only refuse to recognize Alinur’s Kazakh citizenship but also exert pressure through his relatives in China, demanding that no protests or public support be organized in Kazakhstan. The Chinese side even hinted that if the family remains silent, the sentence could be two to three years; if they continue to speak out, the punishment will be more severe.
Meanwhile, Kazakh police have also intervened multiple times in family protest activities. Gulidariya and her daughters have faced dispersal and punishment by the police for holding signs on the streets in support, accumulating fines exceeding 700,000 tenge (about $1,500), and have been administratively detained multiple times. On September 1, she and her two daughters were detained while heading to Astana Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a plea, only to be released late at night.
Bekzat, in charge of Atajurt, told reporters, “The police continually pressurize Gulidariya and her daughters, preventing them from protesting on the streets, resulting in fines on five occasions.”
Serikzhan Bilash criticized, “Chinese Nationality Law clearly states that individuals who voluntarily renounce their citizenship are no longer Chinese nationals. However, China refuses to acknowledge this under the pretext of ‘procedural non-compliance’, which has no legal basis.” He called on Kazakh society not to compromise with China, urging for a larger-scale citizen protest. He even proposed the symbolic slogan of a “Egg Revolution” to express resistance.
Tilek Niyazbek, a Kazakh residing in New York, also expressed concerns, pointing out, “The Xinjiang authorities are still arresting people and sending them to concentration camps. We are very worried about Alinur’s safety.”
Over the past month, the Alinur case has become a focal point of public opinion in Kazakhstan. Despite state media emphasizing “Sino-Kazakh friendship”, many people express dissatisfaction with the government’s silence on social media platforms. Some commented, “If a citizen holding a Kazakh passport cannot receive protection, what value does our passport have?” Others questioned whether the authorities are yielding to pressure from Beijing.
Recently, the Atajurt Voluntary Organization has continued to hold press conferences and marches, with members repeatedly fined or briefly detained. In Astana and Almaty, citizens have spontaneously gathered to protest by holding signs. Relevant information is widely disseminated on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) platforms, with multilingual voices in Kazakh, Russian, and English attempting to bring the case to the international stage.
According to Articles 3 and 9 of the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China: China does not recognize dual nationality; Chinese citizens who voluntarily obtain or join another country’s nationality automatically lose their Chinese nationality. Moreover, Chinese law does not establish “holding dual nationality” as a criminal offense. Kazakh legal experts point out that if the Chinese side uses this as a criminal charge, it lacks legal basis and may violate the consular visitation rights safeguarded by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The case is expected to go to trial in mid-September, with the family and human rights groups urging the international community to continue paying attention.